


Take My Hand

by East02End



Category: EastEnders
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23131957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/East02End/pseuds/East02End
Summary: Here’s me being a dick again... I said I’d deleted a few. I actually deleted 7 of my fics, but I’m just gonna post this one and the last one, I wasn’t a fan of the very first few I wrote.This was from when Ben had a least one injury every week, luckily he hasn’t been like that for a while barring the whole Keanu/boat situation. Callum wouldn’t be pleased about it, but he’d still look after him.Like before, if you’ve already read it, thanks, but if you’ve never seen it, feel free to let me know your views!
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Take My Hand

  


Callum let himself in the Beale’s house and stood in the kitchen. Ben gave him a spare key, so he could wait for him. They were meant to be going to a new club in town, but Ben had to work late at the car lot. Phil’s orders apparently. According to Phil, Ben had been neglecting his work, in favour of Callum. It’s fine he thought, I’ll just go on wait on the sofa, it’s only a bit of paperwork, shouldn’t be too long. 

Callum walked into the living room slowly, he felt a bit awkward being here so late at night, on his own. He looked around and saw all the photos scattering the room. They were many of Lexi, some of Bobby and some of Ben, Ian and Kathy. 

Callum picked one up of Ben and Kathy together. He looked so happy there. So light, and carefree, before he had the whole world on his shoulders, with him being shot and Phil getting attacked. Callum smiled at the photo before placing it back down, making sure it was, where it was before. He sat tentatively on the edge of the sofa and waited for Ben.

Ben opened the door to his house and quietly crept into the kitchen. He was hoping to avoid everyone. Arggh, his ribs ached and his head was bleeding. He walked into the living room and saw Callum on the sofa, looking at something on his phone. 

“Shit.”

He spun around so fast his vision went blurry for a second. 

“Ben? Oh, I’ve been waiting for you for hours. What are you doing?”

“Ermm, nothing. I just remembered I left something at the car lot, I forgot. Why don’t we do this another night eh?”

“Naaah, I know you wanted to go check out the new club and it opens tonight. Why aren’t you coming in here.”

“Just getting a drink. It’ll be open another night and it’ll be packed. I might lose you in there.”

“Your just standing there Ben, you may need to actually move to get a drink.” 

“Oh, yeah of course.” He hurried over to the sink and took a gulp of the cool water.

And I’ll have to hold onto to you won’t I then?” He grinned.

“I don’t feel like going to tonight anymore, I’m too tired.”

“You tired? You never get tired, Ben! I always wonder how you manage to stay awake all day and then most of the night. Come in here then, I haven’t even seen you properly yet.”

“No!”  
“Ermm, I mean, I’m really tired, just gonna go... upstairs.”

“Ben, your being really weird now? You okay?”

“I’m fine, honestly. You get off, I’ll just go bed. I think I might be coming down with something actually, probably best if I don’t see you for a few days.”

“Oh okay.” Ben winced, he seemed so excited to go to this new club with him and now he’d ruined it. Again. Why doesn’t anything ever go right. 

He shuffled closer to the kitchen door and made a dash for upstairs. 

Callum put his hand on the door handle to leave, but took it back off. He walked upstairs and knocked on Ben’s bedroom door. 

“Ben? Are you okay?” He whispered, remembering Lexi was in bed next door. 

“Yeah, Fine.”

“Can I come in?”

“I already told you, it could be contagious.”

“Why you being so weird, you let me in the other day when you weren’t feeling good?”

“I had a cold Callum, this could something else.”

“For crying out loud Ben, your not gonna kill me.”

Ben knew he couldn’t hide from Callum forever. 

“Fine! But don’t flip out alright?”

“Why would I do that?”

“You might wanna take a look first...”

Callum opened the door slowly to see Ben sitting in the edge of his bed looking very guilty. 

“Shit, Ben!” He had blood running down his face, the makings of a black eye, a bust lip and he was clutching his side. 

“Ben! What have you done?!” He rushed over and sat on the bed next to Ben. He touched his face lightly, to which Ben recoiled. 

“Ow! Don’t do that!”

“I’ve already told you to stop doing this to yourself Ben! Your no use to anyone when your like this! What would you have done if Lexi had come downstairs to see you looking like that?”

“She never wakes up in the night.”

“That’s not the point Ben! And you lied to me again! You don’t even have the slightest illness apart from not being able to listen to anyone, cos you seem pretty incapable of doing that!”

“I’m sorry, alright!”

“No Ben, your not, or you wouldn’t keep doing it to yourself. Sorry doesn’t mean anything when you keep saying it and don’t mean it Ben. What happened anyway? Someone say the wrong thing again?”

“That’s not fair Callum, you know I’ve been trying to control my anger when people annoy me. I’ve stopped getting punched so much, to stop you worrying about me.”

Callum felt touched by that, but tried not to show it. He needed Ben to know that this wasn’t right. “What. Happened.”

“This guy came in the car lot and trying to linch all the car keys and the takings didn’t he?”

“Why didn’t you just ring the police?”

“Because he would have been long gone by then, Callum! I can’t afford to be giving cars away for free! He tried to nick them all! I’m not just gonna sit back and say: “Yeah, it’s fine mate, just take it all, the old bill will probably catch you up in about seven years, cos they never do their job properly anyway!”

“Well, you always come off worse! It’s like you enjoy, getting hurt!”

“I couldn’t let him get away with them Cal...”

“And did he?”

“No. I think he managed to crawl away.”

“Crawl? What did you do to him?!”

“Nothing! Well, what was it you said? I always come off worse? Take a look at me and imagine him ten times better off than me.”

“This isn’t funny Ben!”

“I’m sorry okay! Really. Come on Cal, I haven’t been like this, in like forever.”

Callum never answered he just went to the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit. 

When he returned Ben was trying to put a different, less bloodied T-shirt on. 

“Shit. Aah, damn it.”

He side was so bruised, Callum thought he must have a cracked rib. He pulled the top down for him and sat on the bed, waiting for him to join him. 

“Thanks.”

Callum ignored him and began to clear up the side of his face gently. He didn’t want to cause him anymore pain.

“Come on Cal, you can’t ignore me forever.”

“Take them.” He gave Ben some pain killers from the first aid kit and stood up, chucking all the bloodied cloths in the bin. 

“I need some water.”

“There’s some there.” He nodded to the glass of warm water on the side of Ben’s bed, he’d forgot to take down this morning. He used it, even though it tasted weird, just to please Callum. 

“I’m going to get myself a drink from downstairs, then go.”

There was no point in arguing. “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow though won’t I?”

“Don’t know.”

Callum shut the door behind him and took a deep breath. He can’t keep doing this. He made his way downstairs and leant against the kitchen sink. He felt like he was going to throw up. He took a sip of water, but it didn’t do anything. It didn’t make him feel any better. He poured another glass and took it upstairs. 

When he walked into the bedroom, Ben was lying on the bed with his eyes shut, breathing heavily, like it hurt him. He placed the glass on the side and moved the other one further away. He could tell Ben was asleep already, even though the light was still on. 

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the duvet over Ben. He wasn’t sure if he should leave or not. He got in next to Ben anyway. He stroked the side of his face, lightly, so not to wake him or hurt him anymore than he already was. 

“Beautiful, you are. Even looking like this.” 

He looked so calm when he was sleeping. He didn’t need to pretend to be anyone different to other people, he could just be himself. Callum turned out the light and lay next to him thinking how much he cared for Ben and how it scared him to see him like that. He didn’t know what he’d do if he lost Ben. He just couldn’t.

He took Ben’s open hand. Ben’s fingers slowly closed subconsciously, so that their hands were fully intertwined together. He squeezed his hand gently and began stroking his thumb across his hand soothingly, letting him know he was there. 

“I’ll be here when you wake up Ben. I’ll always be here for you...  
No matter what...”

  



End file.
